Koraput: The state government has begun preliminary house listing and population enumeration for Census 2027 across 21 disputed villages in Kotia panchayat, with officials reaching even the most remote hamlets along the Andhra border.
Local social worker Ranjit Pangi said the exercise is being conducted systematically and without disruption, including in villages deep within hilly and forested terrain. “Officials are working sincerely in all the villages along the Andhra border,” Pangi said. “From early morning till evening, they are travelling through difficult terrain under intense heat to ensure no household is left out.”
He said the peaceful conduct of the census reflects local trust in the Odisha administration despite the long-standing interstate boundary dispute. Kotia, under Pottangi block in Koraput district, has remained a sensitive region due to overlapping territorial claims by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Administrative activities by both states often draw attention, particularly during welfare drives and official surveys. Pangi added that Andhra Pradesh is reportedly planning a separate population enumeration in the region following Odisha’s ongoing exercise, a move that could again spotlight the unresolved boundary issue.